The best cycling routes around Poggio San Lorenzo

A very short detour from the bike route of the Cammino di San Benedetto takes us to this beautiful village. Magnificently maintained by the inhabitants, it offers fascinating views and is adorned with paintings. It is a true open-air museum spread out.

Traveling along the path of San Benedetto by bike and coming from Rieti, after the climb you find this crossroads. You must take a left for the beautiful village of Rocca Sinibalda.

Umbilicus Italiæ - Centro d'Italia, Rieti / Geographical Center of Italy In Piazza San Rufo, Varronian tradition places the so-called Umbilicus Italiae, the geographical center of Italy, commemorated by a plaque. Piazza San Rufo is located amidst the imposing buildings of the historic center, which line the main streets Via Roma and Via Garibaldi. In the center of the square, a section of wall, a remnant of the Roman city's first city walls, can be seen beneath the pavement. The value of this area is commemorated by a plaque and a monument with a unique shape, located exactly in the center of the square and aptly called "la caciotta" (the caciotta) for its rounded and circular design. The work, created between the 1980s and 1990s following the city's twinning with the Georgian capital Tbilisi, appears to resemble the base of a column and features the design of the Italian peninsula on its surface, accompanied by the inscription "Umbilicus Italiae" (Umbilicus Italiae), which runs along half the circumference of the monument itself. Text / Source: Official Tourist Portal of the City of Rieti https://www.visitrieti.com/2020/01/25/rieti-umbilicus-italiae/

Going down via Roma you reach the Velino bridge, known however by the same name as the one demolished in the thirties and placed, a little below, on the river bed: Roman bridge.

Lago del Salto is a small but successive artificial lake near Rieti whose circumference is about 32 km of asphalted and mostly flat road. A wonderful route to do by bike, even with the family, taking into account both the low car traffic and the good condition of the road surface perfectly passable with MTB, GRAVEL, City Bike, Racing bike etc. and the beautiful naturalistic views of the lake and the mountains. Along the route there are several rest areas where you can rest and eat a sandwich, but there is also a bar with a beautiful view near the dam. Also along the route you will encounter the town of Fiumata, diametrically opposite the dam, and the town of Borgo San Pietro, halfway between Fiumata and the dam, this is the ideal starting point thanks to the large spaces available for parking cars, but above all for the numerous restaurants with a view of the lake, open all year round and offering excellent local dishes, ideal to enjoy especially after a nice ride like this. For those who want to make the undertaking more challenging there is the variant that passes through Varco Sabino and then through the town of Rigatti, the tour is extended by a total of 10 km, testing a truly challenging climb and descent. Definitely worth trying.

Rocca Sinibalda dominates the lush Turano Valley from above, the second most important river in Sabina after the Velino. The village is dominated by a castle founded around 1060. It was rebuilt as a fortress and noble residence in the 1630s by Cardinal Alessandro Cesarini who hired the famous Sienese architect Baldassarre Peruzzi for the occasion. It can only be visited on certain days. It is therefore advisable to inform yourself before departure.

The passage over the dam is spectacular and the "jump" below is very impressive.

Panoramic bridge over the lake and the village of Fiumata.